The Basics of Change Management
October 12, 2023 by Katie Skvorak
Change is undeniably intimidating — adapting to a new process or system places stress on everyone in an organization. It’s also, however, the precedent for growth.
Take, for instance, a computer. Regular software updates are needed to keep the computer operating smoothly. Many of these updates will trigger noticeable changes for users. While these changes can increase efficiencies and save users time and effort, it’s difficult to adapt after a familiar routine is disrupted. Buttons may have moved to opposite sides of the screen or fonts and formats may have changed. Accepting and acclimating to these types of changes in order to reap the benefits of increased efficiencies requires change management.
Successful change management can help an organization assess capability for change, prepare and manage change, and reinforce change.
What is change?
A change in your organization can include a modification, addition, or removal of a process, system, or service. For example, adopting new software is a major change for an organization.
What is change management?
Change management is a structured process and set of tools for managing the “people” side of change. In fact, employee acceptance and understanding of change is as important to a project’s success as having the right software, project manager, resources, and experts.
Efficient and effective change management considers how each employee adopts and utilizes the change, how it will affect organizational objectives, and how expectations can be met or exceeded. Well-managed change results in:
- Higher ROI
- Projects that remain both on time and on budget
- Successful achievement of organizational goals
- Better utilization of human capital
Building Success
There are three elements necessary to build a strong change-management strategy:
- Executive Leadership (sponsorship) – The required leadership to set the necessary changes into motion. Active and visible leadership is the number one indicator of project success.
- Project Management – The fundamentals of managing a project, including the design of work tasks and the management of resources to implement changes on time and on budget.
- Change Management – The people side of change. This represents the actions taken by the organization to help employees’ transition from the current state to the desired future state.
Resistance to change can derail an organization’s plan to move forward. However, implementing effective change management strategies will increase the probability of a project’s success, manage employees’ resistance to change, and build change competencies into the organization for future projects.